DISSOCIATION OF NITROGEN IN DC GLOW PLASMAS

Dissociation of nitrogen in dc glow plasmas in flowing-gas systems has been studied quantitatively in the pressure range 1-3 Torr, n(e) range 3-8 x 10(10) cm-3, and kT(e) range 2-3 eV. The extent of dissociation, which is of the order of 1% and varies with experimental conditions, has been for the first time expressed fully as a function of electron density and electron temperature. A simple collisional-radiative model predicts well the trends of dissociation as a function of plasma parameters, and predicts absolute values of per cent dissociation, in the worst case, within an order of magnitude.